Nothing peaceful about TPP talks

By Xu Changwen
0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China Daily, April 24, 2014
Adjust font size:

By according the warmest possible welcome to US President Barack Obama on his three-day visit to Japan from Wednesday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is aiming to expedite the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations in order to end the frictions between Washington and Tokyo. Also, Abe thinks that progress on the trade front can, to some extent, ease tensions between the US and Japan after he ignored Washington's caution to visit Yasukuni Shrine, which honors 14 Class-A war criminals, and angered Japan's neighbors, especially China and the Republic of Korea.

Tokyo and Washington are still at loggerheads over a number of issues, especially on reduction of subsidies and import tariffs, in the TPP free trade negotiations. To be more specific, Tokyo and Washington have been at loggerheads over what Japan describes as its five "sacred sectors" - rice, wheat, sugar, dairy products, and beef and pork. Japan wants to protect these sectors, but the US demands full access to the Japanese market for its agricultural goods. Also, Washington insists that Japan lift some technical barriers - like the huge tariff on automobile imports - that prevent some US-made cars from being sold in Japan.

During his talks with Japanese TPP minister Akira Amari on April 9, US Trade Representative Michael Froman reaffirmed that TPP is an organization for economic cooperation with "high ambitions", which include elimination of import tariffs on all products. This means the two sides can reach an agreement only if both make huge concessions.

But if the US makes concessions on tariffs on agricultural products, the ruling Democratic Party could lose many seats in Congress during the upcoming mid-term election because the agriculture sector will not support its candidates. And since the US Congress has not yet granted Obama the Trade Promotion Authority and garnering more votes in the mid-term election is much more important for the Democratic Party than reaching a TPP agreement with Japan, Froman will not easily compromise in this round of negotiations.

Since February Japan has adopted a new strategy, that is, expediting negotiations on tariffs on agriculture products with other countries. Apart from the US and Japan, the TPP negotiations also involve Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. The TPP, if finalized, will account for 40 percent of global GDP and more than 30 percent of global trade.

According to its new strategy, Japan has already reached an agreement (called the Economic Partnership Agreement) with Australia, which includes a deal on the tariff to be imposed on beef imported from Australia. Besides, Japan plans to accelerate its tariff negotiations with New Zealand on dairy products, with Mexico on pork, with Malaysia on plywood and with Vietnam on rice. If Japan succeeds in signing agreements with these countries, it could force the US to make concessions in the TPP negotiations.

But whether Japan and the US can reach an agreement this year is still uncertain because the two sides are yet to sort out their differences on a number of issues. For Obama, handicapped as he is without the Trade Promotion Authority, it is quite difficult to succeed in this round of TPP negotiations. And for the Abe administration, it wouldn't make sense to make concessions on tariffs because it could pay a heavy political price - losing the support of the agriculture sector - at home for that.

With the US and Japan both adopting a tough approach, it seems that their TPP negotiations will be tougher.

The author is a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, affiliated to the Ministry of Commerce.

Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.
Print E-mail Bookmark and Share

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)

No comments.

Add your comments...

  • User Name Required
  • Your Comment
  • Enter the words you see:   
    Racist, abusive and off-topic comments may be removed by the moderator.
Send your storiesGet more from China.org.cnMobileRSSNewsletter
主站蜘蛛池模板: 腿打开一下一会就不疼了| 99久久免费只有精品国产| 日韩美一区二区三区| 亚洲第一页中文字幕| 窝窝视频成人影院午夜在线| 国产v在线播放| 黄网站免费在线观看| 国产精品亚洲精品日韩已满| 97人人添人澡人人爽超碰| 奇米影视77777| 中文字幕一区二区三区视频在线| 日韩中文字幕在线视频| 亚洲av永久无码一区二区三区| 欧美日韩一区二区在线视频| 亚洲精品NV久久久久久久久久| 男人进去女人爽免费视频国产| 午夜片在线观看| 老子影院午夜伦不卡亚洲| 国产亚洲日韩欧美一区二区三区| 91成人免费版| 国产日韩精品欧美一区喷水| 1024视频基地| 国产素人在线观看| 97久久精品人妻人人搡人人玩| 夜夜揉揉日日人人青青| heyzo在线| 天天爱天天做天天爽夜夜揉| √新版天堂资源在线资源| 成人精品免费视频在线观看| 久久久久免费精品国产| 日韩1区2区3区| 久久精品国产亚洲av瑜伽| 最新版天堂中文在线| 五月激情丁香网| 最好的最新中文字幕8| 亚洲va中文字幕无码毛片| 欧美fxxx性| 亚洲www视频| 最近高清中文国语在线观看| 亚洲youjizz| 晓雪老师下面好紧好湿|